Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Icon nb 49

Size : 50 x 29 cm.

Pine board

Gilded halo . Egg tempera.

Saint Catherine was a brilliant young woman of noble birth who went before the Emperor Maximinus to correct him for worshipping false gods and to upbraid him for his persecution of Christians. He sent some of his greatest scholars and philosophers to debate her -- but she ended up converting many of them, and they were put to death and Catherine was beaten and jailed. The Emperor's wife, intrigued by Catherine, went to visit her with the head of the Emperor's troops. They, too, were converted and put to death. Then came Catherine's turn; she was condemned to die on the wheel, but when she touched it, it shattered. She was then beheaded. Legend says that the angels carried her body to Mt. Sinai.

The pictures of this site may not be used in any manner without our written permission.